Waliyah
- Gender
- Girl
- Say it
- wah-LEE-yah
- Origin
- Arabic
Waliyah is a girls' name of Arabic origin, meaning “guardian, close friend”. Too few babies were given it in the latest year to rank.
What does Waliyah mean?
Arabic: feminine of Wali, from Arabic wali
“guardian, close friend”
Feminine form of Wali, an Arabic word for a guardian, protector or close friend, including a friend of God.
Is Waliyah a girl's or a boy's name?
Waliyah is a girls' name.
How popular is Waliyah in the UK?
No girls in the UK were given it in 2025, or too few to be listed. Its busiest year was 2014, with 5 girls.
Waliyah in the UK, year by year
| Year | Girls | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 3 | #5,929 |
| 2022 | 3 | #5,885 |
| 2021 | 4 | #4,864 |
| 2020 | 5 | #4,110 |
| 2019 | 0 | – |
| 2018 | 0 | – |
| 2017 | 4 | #4,967 |
| 2016 | 0 | – |
| 2015 | 0 | – |
| 2014 | 5 | #4,187 |
| 2013 | 0 | – |
| 2012 | 0 | – |
| 2011 | 0 | – |
| 2010 | 0 | – |
| 2009 | 0 | – |
| 2008 | 0 | – |
| 2007 | 0 | – |
| 2006 | 3 | #5,259 |
Names like Waliyah
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Aaliyah, Nusaybah, Aafiyah, Ruqayyah, Ayah, Safa, Abeeha, Sumayyah, Zainab, Aasiyah, Hiba, Safiya
Names related to Waliyah
More Arabic names
Muhammad, Layla, Mohammed, Lyla, Mohammad, Zara, Amir, Amira, Fatima, Ali, Yahya, Zayn, Aisha, Omar, Zahra, Hamza
Sources
Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland) and Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Waliyah: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/waliyah, updated 20 October 2026.